Addressing Challenges: Graphene Solutions for Advancing Lightweight Materials

Embracing the use of advanced materials in Europe is now more essential than ever, as the continent faces pressing demands for sustainability, digitalization, and economic competitiveness. As industries strive to reduce carbon footprints, improve energy efficiency, and achieve technological independence, advanced materials play a vital role in enabling innovation that aligns with these goals. Europe’s Green Deal and the digital transformation agenda call for robust materials that support cleaner, greener, and smarter technologies across sectors.

Among these advanced materials, graphene stands out as a transformative contender. Known for its remarkable strength, flexibility, and conductivity, graphene has the potential to bring about breakthroughs across key industries, including mobility, energy, electronics, and sustainability.

This October, the AMULET project, in collaboration with the GIANCE initiative, hosted a hybrid workshop in Krakow to explore graphene’s industrial potential alongside experts in graphene technology. GIANCE, or the Graphene AllIANCE for Sustainable Multifunctional Materials to Tackle Environmental Challenges, is a Horizon Europe project focused on incorporating graphene into lightweight products to boost both performance and sustainability in a circular economy. The workshop brought together industry leaders, innovators, and researchers for an exchange of ideas and solutions aimed at real-world applications.

The primary objective was to address pressing industrial challenges posed by AMULET beneficiaries and ELCA partners through graphene-based innovations. Topics ranged from creating sustainable child car seats to enhancing hydrogen storage tanks and developing advanced optical systems with ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Discussions also delved into achieving resilience and sustainability in graphene-based materials, sparking fresh ideas and collaborative potential. The gathering underscored Europe’s commitment to harnessing advanced materials for a sustainable future – one where graphene could play a pivotal role in reshaping entire industries, driving innovation, and enabling a more resilient, green economy.

Author: Dr. Csilla György (Bax)

Organizers: Dr. Csilla György (Bax), Katie Basham (Bax)

Contributors:

Antonio Ojeda Monge (Adaptank), Carmen Rial (BCMaterials), Dr. Jörg Kaufmann (Silbaerg), Gábor Szebényi (PolymerOn), Gianluigi Creonti (Crossfire), Katharina Schoeps (RKW Sachsen), Lynn Chikosha (Universal Matter), Matthias Kroedel (ECM – Engineered Ceramic Materials), Maxime Ezequel (Gie albatros), Neffer Gomez (Cooling Photonics), Pablo Acuña (CTAG), Paolo Mariani (CNR), Ricardo del Valles (Bax), Sara Murase (Eurecat), Tony Schutze (RKW Sachsen).

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge the funding of the European Commission for the following projects “AMULET Horizon 2020” under grant agreement Nº101005435 and GIANCE project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101119286 and UKRI under Grant Agreement No 10090645 and No 10101683.